New roundabout to access Goldthorpe employment land approved

Barnsley Council’s planning board approved plans to transform part of the Dearne Valley into offices, warehouses, an industrial units, which would create up to 3,000 jobs, in September.

The site, known at ES10 in the council’s local plan, will be allocated as employment land, to the south of the Dearne Valley Parkway at Goldthorpe.

To access the site, a new roundabout has been approved at Barnsley Council’s planning board meeting on February 15 on the A635 Barnsley Road, between Cathill Roundabout and Holly Grove Roundabout.

Nine objections were received, along with one letter of support.

Residents have objected on the grounds of impacts on them during construction, reduction in air quality, concern that Billingley Green Lane will be used as a ‘rat run’ and ‘create safety issues for residents’, and the loss of green belt.

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One resident said there are ‘already too many roundabouts’, and another added they are ‘unclear as to why a roundabout would be required in this location’.

Intrusive investigation work is required to ‘inform any mitigation works which would be necessary’, as the site is on a former open cast mine.

A traffic report states that 13 per cent of traffic from the development traffic will head to Doncaster, which equates to 106 two-way trips during the morning rush hours, and 85 two-way trips in the evening peak.

A report by planning officers states that the roundabout ‘in itself will not affect existing air quality’.

Matt Woodward, planning officer at BMBC, told councillors that Doncaster Council had been consulted, and had not raised any objections.

Councillor Dorothy Coates, representative for Dearne South, said that she hoped the roundabout would help to slow traffic down.

Councillors voted to approve the roundabout.